Home For Teens Loses Its Request

Deland Commissioners Rejected Expansion For Teen Challenge.

DELAND — A home for troubled teens must find a new home if it wants to grow in DeLand.

The DeLand City Commission voted 3-2 Monday night to reject Teen Challenge's request to increase from six to nine the number of girls it can accommodate at 217 N. Stone St.

The Planning Board and city staff recommended rejecting the request because it would violate Teen Challenge's original agreement with the city. As proposed, the agreement would treat Teen Challenge as a community residential facility.

However, community residential facilities cannot have nine people in a single-family neighborhood like Teen Challenge's. Allowing more girls could set a precedent others might take advantage of and violate the neighbors' trust, according to those who voted against the request.

Commissioners Marshall Bone and Willie Bright voted to let the Christian home grow.

''We can stop this now,'' Bright said of drug and alcohol abuse, which is the special focus of Teen Challenge's treatment program. ''Why not stop it?''

One of Teen Challenge's neighbors also voiced support.

But Silas Campbell, another neighbor, told the commission that the home should stay as is. Six girls have made no trouble, but nine girls might, he said. He also said Teen Challenge originally promised the girls would not have drug problems.

''We've been sold one bill of goods and then we find out what's going on,'' Campbell said.

In other business, the commission:

Approved a set of changes for DeLand airport. Part of a closed runway would be used for aviation-related industry. But buildings would be banned on another part of the airport so planes could see when taking off.

Pilots and parachutists turned out at the meeting to say it was dangerous to allow more building at the airport. Mayor David Rigsby said it was important for the city to have the jobs the aviation businesses would bring.

Approved a city law that would give tax breaks to people who fix up older buildings.

Scheduled a 6 p.m. Dec. 15 meeting to discuss a state report critical of the city's presentation of a plan for a Wal-Mart Supercenter on the city's north side.